Toy missile



March 28, 1961 I c. CRISCI TOY MISSILE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1959 INVENTOR.

LOUIS CRIS ATTORNEY March 28, 1961 L. c. CRISCI 2,976,644

TOY MISSILE Filed July 2, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR; LOUIS CRISCI v ATTORNEY March 28, 1961 Filed July 2, 1959 L. C. CRISCI TOY MISSILE LOUIS cmsc! 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 8

INVENTOR L. C. CRISCI March 28, 1961 TOY MISSILE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 2, 1959 FIG. 12

' INVENTOR LOUIS QR lS-Cl ATTORNEY TOY MISSILE Louis C. Crisci, Fulton St. and HowardAve Brooklyn 33, N.Y.

Filed July 2, 1959, Ser. No. 824,596

Claims. (Cl. 46-81) This invention relates to toy aircraft of the type that are propelled by resilient means.

An object of the invention is to provide a toy aircraft which can be released either from the hand or from a holder in the hand or on the ground.

A further object is to provide an aircraft which is propelled by resiiient means carried thereon.

A further object is to provide a toy aircraft having separable nose and fuselage portions.

A still further object is to provide a toy aircraft as set forth in which the separable nose and fuselage por tions are resiliently joined.

A still further object is to provide a toy aircraft in which the separable nose and fuselage portions have axially alinged bores, the bore in the fuselage extending completely therethrough, the bore in the nose portion extending partially therethrough.

A further object is to provide an aircraft as set forth in which resilient means are placed at the end of the bore in the nose portion.

A further object is to provide a modification in which a separable rocket is attached to the nose portion of the device and released when the device is in flight.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the plane on a holder ready for launching.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of another form of the invention on a holder ready for launching.

Figure 3 is a cross section of the holder showing the releasing means.

Figure 4 is a side elevation partially in section showing the nose portion and the fuselage portion in assembled position.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan of the plane showing the elastic propulsion means.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of modified form of the invention.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modification of the device, showing another form of locking means.

Figure 9 is an elevational view of a modified form of my invention, showing the device ready for launching.

2,975,54 Patented Mar. 28, 1961 Figure 11 shows a portion of the nose and the nose spring, immediately after the rocket has been launched.

Figure 12 shows the rocket immediately after launchmg.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 10 represents the plane generally, having a fuselage 11, and wing 12, vertical tail fin 13, horizontal tail fins 14 attached to or integral with said fuselage. Also attached to, or integral with said fuselage, are hook-like members 15, preferably disposed apart on either side of said fuselage. More of these hook-like members may be added if desired, and spaced at any degree or distance from each other. Also, if desired, a jet assist unit 16 of a kind commercially available, may be fastened to the fuselage, as shown in Fig. 4.

On the forward end of said fuselage is a resilient pad 17, and spaced pins 18, for a purpose to be later described. Bore 19 extends completely through said fuselage and may be of any suitable shape in cross section, round, square, hexagonal, spiral, or other. A sear notch 20 is recessed into the lower tail area of the fuselage for a purpose to be later described.

A forward nose portion 21 has bore22 similar to the bore 19 in the fuselage 11, but extending only partially therethrough.

Within said bore 22, resilient means 23 are positioned. Hook-like members 24, similar to hook-like members 15 on the fuselage, and in alignment with said members are positioned on the nose portion. These members 24 are also either integral with or attached to the nose portion. A tip 25 of rubber or other material is attached to the nose portion, this tip protecting both the plane itself and any furniture or delicate objects which the plane might contact in its flight. Bores 26 in nose portion 21 are aligned with the pins 18 in the fuselage portion so as to lock the parts together when the plane is in fiight. Resilient bands 27 are stretched over the hook like members 24 on the nose portion and the corresponding hook-like members 15 on the fuselage to normally hold the nose portion and fuselage portion together.

One end of a rod 28, of any suitable material and of any desired shape, corresponding with the shape of the bores 19 and 22 in the fuselage and nose portions respectively, is adapted to be inserted through said bores until the end contacts the resilient means 23 in said nose portion. The other end of the rod 28 is adapted to be inserted in a holder to be presently described.

The holder comprises a handle portion 29, a combined trigger and sear 30 having a sear tip 31, a spring 32 normally biasing the trigger and sear in a forward position, and a bore 33 which receives the other end of the rod 28 as described above. A protecting plate 34 is removably attached to the handle portion ahead of said trigger, the purpose being to protect the finger of the user when the jet assist unit 16 is positioned on the plane.

A modification of the device is shown in Fig. 2, the operation being exactly the same, the only difference being in the shape of the plane. As will be seen, the nose portion 35 of this modification is equipped with a suction cup tip 36 which will be useful in playing darttype games with this device, as well as protecting any furniture, mirrors, or other delicate and fragile objects.

The fuselage portion 37 is formed in the shape of the tail of a dart, fins 38 being substituted for the wings in the other form.

In the operation of the device, one end of the rod 23 is inserted in the bore 33 of the launcher, the bore in 3 the tail end of the assembled plane or dart is placed over the other end of the rod 28 and the fuselage is then manually retracted until the sear notch 20 passes over and is engaged by the sear tip 3-1, then the fuselage is released and the plane is held in a cocked position, ready for firing.

During the retraction of the fuselage, the nose portion remains impaled on the forward end of the rod 28, as the end of the rod is pressing against resilient means 23 in said nose portion. As the fuselage is retracted, therefore, the resilient bands 27 are stretched and greater and greater tension is built as the fuselage reaches its rearmost locked position. The resilient means 23 in the nose portion is gradually compressed as the fuselage is retracted, due to the increased tension from the resilient bands 27.

When the trigger is squeezed, the sear tip 31 is withdrawn from the sear notch 20, the fuselage under tension of the resilient bands 27 is pulled forward, its acceleration increasing as it travels until at the time it reaches the nose portion 21 it is moving very fast. To prevent a sudden shock or jolt which might damage the parts and most certainly cut down the full force of the forward travelling fuselage, the resilient means 23 in the nose portion begin to urge the nose portion forward as soon as the fuselage starts its forward travel. Thus, when the fuselage contacts the nose portion the resilient pad 17 and the forwardly moving nose portion reduce the shock to a minimum and the fuselage and nose portion continue on off the end of the rod into flight, locked together by the pins 18 in recesses 26 and the binding together of the parts by the resilient bands 27.

If it is desired to launch the plane from the rod 28 alone, one end of the rod is inserted in the tail end of the assembled plane and pushed forward until it contacts the resilient means in the nose portion, then the other end of the rod is held in one hand, while the fuselage is drawn back to the desired point and then released. The action is exactly the same as when the holder 29 was used, except that the plane is released from the hand, rather than being held by the sear tip 31 engaging the sear notch 20 and being released when the trigger 30 is pulled.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the pins 18 and recesses 26 have been eliminated, and instead, a square projection 39 on the fuselage engages in a mating recess 40 in the nose portion.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9, 10, l1 and 12, a second stage rocket comprising a body portion 41, integral fins 42, movable fins 43 pivotaliy attached to said integral fins 42 by pins 44, and wire springs 45, is mounted on the nose portion of the device by lugs 46 on the movable fins 43 engaging recesses 47 in the nose portion, said movable fins 43 and said lugs 46 being normally biased away from recesses 47 by springs 45, but

frictionally held by the tension of spring 48 forcing the lugs to maintain engagement with recesses. A guide rod 49 is afiixed to the nose portion and disposed interiorly of the spring 48. Spring 48 and guide rod 49 remain affixed to the nose portion at all times.

In the operation of this form of the device the device is launched as before, but the contact of the fuselage portion with the nose portion will create a slight jolt or shock, this shock compressing spring 48 just enough to lessen the frictional engagement of the lugs 46 with the recesses 47, and allow the springs 45 to force the movable fins 43 outwardly and clear the lugs from the recesses. The spring 43 then thrusts the rocket forward in a separate second stage flight.

It is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will now be clearly understood without a more detailed description thereof. It is, however, desired to point out that the present embodiment of the invention which I have described in detail has been given rnerely by way of example and that the same attains all 4. the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and that numerous changes may be made in the details of construction, in the materials, and in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter claimed.

1 claim:

1. A toy comprising a holder and a missile for use therewith, said missile consisting of a nose portion and a fuselage portion, said fuselage portion having a scar ratch on its lower portion, resilient bands holding said nose and fuselage portions together, said nose portion having a bore partially therethrough and said fuselage portion having a bore completely therethrough; said holder consisting of a handle having a socket therein, a combined trigger and sear on said handle, and a shaft having one of its ends fitted in said socket, said missile adapted to be placed on the other end of said shaft,

fuselage first, whereby when said fuselage is retracted on said shaft and said sear ratch engaged by said sear, said nose portion will remain in position on the end of said shaft until said fuselage is released by withdrawal of said sear from said ratch by squeezing of the trigger, when, under tension of said resilient bands, said fuselage will contact said nose portion on its forward travel and carry said nose portion along with it'otf the end of said shaft into free flight.

2. A missile toy comprising a holder having a shaft thereon and a' two-part missile having a bore partially through its front part and completely through its rear part, said rear part with the bore completely therethrough being placed on the end of said shaft first, elastic means comprising rubber bands engaging lugs on the front and rear parts resiliently joining the two parts, the front part having the bore partially therethrough remaining im mobile on the end of said shaft while the rear part, having the bore completely therethrough, is drawn back along said shaft under increasing tension from said resilient means, and released, whereby the tension of said resilient means will carry the rear part forward, contact the front part, and carry it along in unitary relationship, off the end of said shaft, into free flight.

3. A toy comprising a holder and a missile for use therewith, said holder consisting of a handle, a trigger, sear, and a missile guiding shaft on said handle, said missile consisting of a nose portion having a bore par tially therethrough, and a fuselage portion having a bore completely therethrough, a sear notch in said fuselage portion resilient means resiliently joining said nose and fuselage portions, said resilient joining means comprising corresponding lugs on the sides of said nose portion and lugs on the sides of said fuselage portion, and rubber bands engaging said lugs, said nose and fuselage portions adapted, when placed over the end of said shaft remote from said handle, fuselage portion first, to have said nose portion remain immobile and said fuselage portion to be drawn towards said handle on said holder when launching is desired until said sear engages said sear notch,, said fuselage portion, when released by withdrawing said sear from said notch, being pulled towards said nose portion, under tension of said stretched resilient means, contacting said nose portion and carrying said nose portion with it as it leaves the end of said shaft in flight.

4. A launching toy as set forth in claim 3, in which the contacting surfaces of said nose and fuselage portions have mating aligning members thereon.

5. A toy as set forth in claim 2 in which said nose portion carries a separable rocket, said rocket comprising a body portion, integral fins on said body portion, movable fins having lugs thereon pivoted to said integral fins and spring biased away from said body portion, said nose portion having lug recesses formed therein, and a compression spring in the forward end thereof, said compression spring bearing against the base of said rocket when in assembled position, and frictionally holding 5 6 said lugs on said movable fins in engagement with said References Cited in the file of this patent lug recesses in said nose portion, whereby when said UNITED STATES PATENTS fuselage contacts said nose portion on its forward travel, the shock of said contact will compress said compression 1,405,075 Tledeman 1922 spring, allowing said spring biased fins to move out- 5 wardly from said nose portion and unseat said lugs from FOREIGN PATENTS 7 said recesses, said compression spring then thrusting said 36,615 France 1930 rocket into separate free flight. 1,003,512 France Nov. 21, 1951 

